Tabulating card printing machine



Dec; 5, 1939.

F. M. CARROLL Filed Jan. 26, 1957 k" m 1 H TABULATING CARD PRINTING MACHINE l6 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

BY W. 7%. mam;

A TTORNEYS.

Dec. 5, 1939.

FIG.2.

F. M, VCARROLL 2,181,935

'TABULATING CARD PRINTING MACHINE File d Jan. 26, 1937 16 Shets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

M 7%. BY WZh. 77m,

ATTORNEYS.

Dec. 5, 1939. F. M. CARROLL I TABULATING CARD PRINTING MACHINE l6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Jan. 26, 1937 INVEN TOR.

A TTORNEYS.

Dec. 5, 1939. F. M. CARROLL 2,181,935

TABULATING CARD PRINTING MACHINE Filed Jan. 26, 1957 l6 Sheets-Sheet 6 FIG; 10.

A y I X 150 WK In v 72L INVENTOR.

A TTORN E YS.

Dec. 5, 1939. F. M, CARROLL 2,131,935

TABULATING CARi) PRINTING MACHINE Filed Jan. 26, 1937 16 Sheets-Sheet 7 FIG.11.

L. n HM i5 g 46' 37,6 6 m 38 45 INVENTOR.

A TTORNEYS.

' Dec. 5, 1939..

F. M. CARROLL TABULATING CARD PRINTING MACHINE Filed Jan. 26, 1937 16 Sheets-Sheet 8 ATTORNEYS.

Dec. 5, 1939.

F M. CARROLL TABULATING CARD PRINTING MACHINE Filed Jan. 26, 1937 16 Sheets-Shet 9 IN VEN TOR.

A TTORNEYS.

Dec. 5, 1939.

FIG. 18.

F. M. CARROLL 2,181,935

TABULATING CARD PRINTING MACHINE Filed Jan. 26, 1957 16 Sheets-Sheet l0 7m haw A TTORNEYS.

Dec. 5, 1939. M} CARROLL r 2,181,935

' TABULATING CARD PRINTI NG'MACHINE Filed Jan. 26, 1937 16 Sheets-Sheet 12 I W. 7%, WM

A TTORN E YS.

Dec. 5, 1939.

F. M. CARROLL 2,181,935

TABULATING CARD PRINTING MACHINE l6 Sheets-Sheet 14 Filed Jan. 26, 1937 INVENTOR.

BY Wu7kM ATTORNEYS.

Dec. 5, 1939. F. M. CARROLL I 2,181,935

TABULATING MED PRINTING MACHINE Filed Jan. 26, 1937 16 Sheets-Sheet l5 A TTORNEYS.

Dec. 5, 1939. C RR LL I 2,181,935

TABULATING CARD PRINTING MACHINE Filed Jan. 26, 1937 16 Sheets-Sheet 16 FIG. 34.

/ INVENTORY CONTROL 5 5522 QUANTITY 1121-1121104? 5% 532A QUANTITY 5 SISS 9599 1 20455701010111: I tam-1mm L A TTORNEYS.

Patented Dec.5,1939

TABULATING CARD PRINTING MACHINE Fred M. Carroll, Binghamton,-N. Y., assignor to International Business Machines Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application January 26, 1937, Serial No. 122,360

24 Claims.

This case relates to a machine for operating on a web to produce printed record cards there from, and is an improvement on the machine of Patent 1,563,014.

5 Particularly, the machine operates on a blankcontinuous strip of material to print record forms thereon which are cut apart to form card lengths, each with a printed form. The particular record card produced is known as a tubulating card which in subsequent use is punched to control automatic accounting machines. I

The general object of the invention is to pro vide a machine for rapidly producing the record cards and stacking them in separate stacks on a movable stacker table to be removed by the operator. 1

The invention includes unique printing means for the web, unique cutting means for shearing the web, unique straightening means for straight- Z0 ening the web, means for guiding the web above the shears to move the web out of the plane of g the web below the shears so as not to interfere ping the machine upon detecting a jam in the web feed, for stopping the machine when the supply roll is depleted and when inserting a new 15 roll,.for stopping the machine when the web is too thick, and unique striping means for striping the web.

Another object is to stop machine operation upon failure to empty a stacker pocket before it 0 reaches a card receiving station. I

The invention also resides in any novel combination of the parts of the disclosed machine or novel plan of operation of the parts -or any combination thereof.

Other objects of the invention will be pointed out in the following description and claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which disclose, by Way of example, the principle of the invention and the best mode, which has been contemplated, of applying that principle.

Fig. 1' is aside view of the machine;

Fig. 2 is a front view, partly sectioned and with parts removed or broken away to show 5 normally concealed parts;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view, showing the drive gear;

Fig, 4 is adetail front view of the cutters, web and card guides, and intermediate card delivering grippers; 5

Fig. 5 is a section on lines 55 of Fig. 4, showing the web cutters coacting to cut a card;

Fig. 6 is a section on'lines 6- -6 of Fig.4, including the cutters at a later stage of operation after the card has been cut apart from the web; Fig. 7 is similar to Fig. 6 showing the card fully inserted in position to be gripped by a clip on the conveying drum;

Fig. 8 is a section on lines 88 of Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a plan view of the intermediate card gripper and delivery mechanism;

Fig. 10 is an enlarged view, partly in section,

of the upper right corner of Fig. 1, showing the card straightness detecting means;

Fig. 11 is a detail view of the intermediate part of .Fig. 1, showing the web straightening mechanism;

Fig. 12 is a section on lines 12-42 of Fig. 11;

Fig. 13 is a section through the web striping means;

Fig. 14 is a section along lines l t-M of Fig 13;

Fig. 15 isfla detail plan view of the cutters;

Fig. 16 iSl aLsection through the platen or pressure roller' ofthe ,printing couple;

I Fig. 1'7 is a side" v iw o f the opera-ting crank handle and ratchet connection to the operating shaft;

Fig. 18 is an enlarged view-of portion of Fig. 1;

Fig. 19 is a detail view the upper left taken as indicated by arrows IQ-it of Fig. 18;

Fig. 20 is similar to the upper part of Fig. 18 but with the casing of the corner clipper in section;

Fig. 21 is an enlargement of the corner clip-- ping portion of Fig. 20;

Fig. 22 is a section on lines 22--22 oi. Fig. 20;

Fig. 23 is a-section on lines 2323 of Fig. 20;

Fig. 24 is a plan view of the card stacker table and associated parts;

Fig. 25 is a; detail sectional view of stacker 'table actuating and stopping mechanism;

Fig. 26 is a sectional, plan, view of the card counting control and the timing contacts of the automatic web straightening device;

Fig. 27 is a detail vertical section of part of the stacker table and associated parts; Fig. 28 is a detail view of part of the stacker table positioning means;

Fig. 29 is a detail, front view of the drive for the stacker table actuating means and for the card catcher, partly sectioned;

Fig. 30 is a section on lines 30-39 of Fig. 29;

Fig. 31 is a detail section through the webbuckling detecting device;

Fig. 32 is a detail view of the control for the stacker stepping means;

Fig. 33 is a detail view of the lower end of a guide plate for guiding an edge of the cards into a stacker pocket;

Fig. 34 shows a card produced by the machine; and

Fig. 35 is the circuit diagram.

Throughout the specification and claims the term card is intended to apply to a strip or sheet regardless of the degree of flexibility thereof.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the supply roll ID of blank card material C is carried by a two-part spool II located on a shaft I2 fixed to a leg of the frame. The spool I I is located between friction washers I4 and I5, the former encircling the neck of a collar IB removably secured to the outer end of the shaft I2 adjacent the spool, and the washer I5 encircling the neck of a collar I'I keyed to shaft I2. Surrounding shaft I2 and. engaging the side of collar II opposite friction washer I5 is the hub of a lever I8, the hub having an internally threaded nut portion I9 coacting with the threaded portion 20 of shaft I2. The outer end of lever I8 carries a guide roller 22 for the web of material 0 coming off the supply roll Ill. The distribution of weight of the arms of lever I8, added to the Weight of roller 22, is such as to impart a tendency to the lever to swing clockwise (Fig. 1). Accordingly, roller 22 would drop unless. supported by the web looped around the bottom of the roller. The roller thus exerts force on the web C to maintain it under tension.

As long as the web is feeding properly off the roll I0, it will act on roller 22 to support the roller 22 and lever I8. in upper position, limited by engagement of the lever with a fixed stud 23. In the upper position of lever I8, the spool II is free to rotate between friction washers I4 and I5. When the web stops feeding from the supply roll or is cut off above the roller 22 in a manner to release the tension of the web on roller 22, then lever I8 drops and by the coaction of its nut portion I9 with threaded portion 20 of shaft I2, the hub of the lever is moved towards spool I I, thereby compressing the spool. between washers I4 and I5, which thereby act to brake the spool and stop rotation of the supply roll I0 due to momentum.

The web of material C is led from roll I0 over a: uide roller 24 journaled by an arm 25 which is swiveled to a part of the frame to tilt laterally orsidewise. The axisv of lateral movement of guide roller 24 is substantially in line with the top of the roller, and consequently with the direction of feed of the web as it leaves the guide roller. Thus, the top of the roller will have substantially no lateral tilting movement, so that the web will be directed thereby in a predetermined, constant, path. The rest of the roller below the top is laterally tiltable to follow the side weave of the web as it comes off the supply roll, while the top of the roller is effective to direct the web in a straight, predetermined path. The action of roller 24 may be clear if it be considered that the roller is always tilted in the direction which the web takes as it leaves the supply roll I 0.

From roller 24, the web is threaded through the horizontally extending slot of a plate 2! formed on the upper arm of a lever 28 (see Figs. 1 and 3). The lower end of lever 28 is connected to a link 29 which has a pin and slot connection with a rocker arm 38 rigidly and dependently carried by its pivot 30. Also fixed to pivot 30 is a depending arm 3I, pivotally connected to a horizontally movable bar 32, which carries an insulating block 32 connected to a spring 33. Spring 33 normally urges bar 32 to the right (Fig. 3) to withdraw block 32' from a spring blade 34' carrying one of the coacting points of a switch 34. When bar 32 is permitted to move to the right under the influence of spring 33, then contacts 34 are enabled to close for conditioning the machine for operation. When bar 32 is moved to the left, into the position shown in Fig. 3, then block 32' acts on spring blade 34 to open the switch 34, interrupting machine. operation.

Under several conditions, bar 32 is moved t the left to open switch 34. In Fig. 3, bar 32 has been moved to the left by means of the camming engagement between the rounded end of an arm 35 and a stud 35 carried by arm 3|. Arm 35 is in this position when a. supply roll I0 is being inserted, as will be explained later.

When the machine is in operation, bar 32 and arms 30 and 3| are further to the right than shown in Fig. 3, and the pin and slot connection between link 29 and arm 30 is operatively engaged, so that movement of the link to the left will rock arm 30 clockwise. When arm 30 is rocked clockwise, its pivot 30 and arm 3I also rock clockwise, causing bar 32 to move to the left, so that block 32 opens contacts 34 to stop machine operation. Link 29 is moved to the left to effect opening of switch 34 in above manner when lever 28 rocks clockwise. This happens if the web threaded through the slot in plate 21 of lever 28 is too thick to pass through the slot freely. If the web is of proper thickness, it passes through the slot freely and does not cause movement of lever 28. When the web is too thick, it rocks lever 28 clockwise to cause switch 34 to open and stop operation of the machine. Slotted plate 21 is thus a thickness gage for the web or a thickness detector to cause the machine to stop if the web exceeds the maximum permissible thickness.

From the thickness gage, the web proceeds over a guide roller 31, around previously mentioned web-tensioning roller 22, and around guide rollers 31a and 31b. From roller 3'"), the web is passed between the bottom of a roll 38 and the top of a plate 39 tangentially disposed relative to roller 38 (refer to Figs. 1, 11, and 12). Plate 39 is rigidly provided at one side with a vertical arm 40 freely mounted on the shaft 42 of roll 38. Shaft 42 of roller 38 is journaled between the sides of a yoke 43. Between yoke 43 and arm 40 is a spring 44 urging the arm and the plate 39 rigid therewith to rock counterclockwise (Fig. 11) about the periphery of roller 38. At its right hand end, plate 39 abuts the right angular lower corner of a straightener block 45. The web passes between roller 33 and plate 39, then proceeds between the plate and straightener block 45. The straightener block is rigidly secured to the lower end of a convex guide plate 46, having side flanges 46' to engage the sides of the web and prevent lateral movement of the web. As the web is fed around block and upwardly along guide plate 46, the pressure of the lower corner of the block on the web ,as the web changes direction tends to impart a curvature to the web opposite to its curvature as part of roll Ill. The net effect of the action of block 45 is to-compensate for the initial curvature of the web so as to straighten the web preparatory to its proceeding through the printing and cutting means, to be described later. The degree of straightening imparted by block 45 to the web depends on the angle the web makes relative to the block just before it is passed around the block. This angle of the Web depends in turn on the position of the plate 39- and of roller 38. The greater the angle, the greater the straightening effect of block 45.

Thus, in the full line positions of roller 38 and plate as in Fig. 11, the angle is most abrupt and the straightening effect is the maximum required while in the lower, dotted line, positions, the angle is a minimum and the straightening effect the least..

0 The drag of the paper on the surface of plate 39 and the action of spring 44 maintain the right hand end of plate 39 against the lower corner of straightener block 45, in all positions of roller 38. Thus, as the roller moves down, plate 39 5 rocks counterclockwise and its right hand end D posite the block corner coacting with the latter to tend to curve the web in the direction of curvature of the guide 46. In effect, plate 39 and block 45 coact as straightening elements pinching the web between them. Further, plate 39 pre- 5 vents the part of the web between the roll 38 and the block 45 from bowing downwardly, a condition which would make the angle of the web entering block 45 largely indeterminate. By maintaining plate 39 as a constant straight bridge between roll 38 and block 45, the angle of entry of the web to the block is always a definitely determined one, depending on the angle of the plate.

In order to continue to prevent bowing of the 5 web away from block 45 after the web passes the edge of plate 39, a horizontally disposed guide bar 41 (also see Fig. 2) is provided parallel to the face of block 45. Bar 41 holds the web against the parallel face of block 45.

The initial curvature of the web entering straightening couple 3945 varies with several factors. One factor is the length of time the supply roll has lain in stock before being used, since the longer the roll is in stock, the more 5 time the web has to settle in the curvature of the different convolutions or circles of the roll. Further, since the outer convolutions are of a greater diameter and, hence, less curved per unit of length than the inner convolutions, the init al curvature of the web will increase as the size of the roll decreases. Other factors may affect the extent of initial curvature of the web, as, for instance, the degree of straightness of the web before being wound in the form of a roll.

It is, therefore, advantageous to constantly and automatically regulate the straightening action in accordance with the initial curvature of the web, and the control of this action is exercised by means, which will be described later, for sensing the result or extent of the straightening operation from the finished cards.

The straightening control operates through the following means: Referring to Figs. 11 and 12, yoke 43 is pivotally carried by the round portion 48 of a shaft 49 which is rotatably carried by the frame. Normally, shaft 49 is stationary, being held so by a friction, spring, washer 50 between the frame and a nut 52 on the shaft (see Fig. 2). The outer end of portion 48 of shaft 49 carries a handle 53 which may be manipulated to rock the shaft 49. Round portion 48 is eccentric of the axis of shaft 49 and, consequently, when the shaft is rotated, the position of the eccentric portion 48 is changed to, in turn, adjust the position of yoke 43 and the roller 38 and plate 39 carried thereby. 'Yoke 43 has a pin 54 passing through a slot 55 of a ratchet sector 56 rotatably carried by the concentric portion of shaft 49. Thus, when yoke 43 is adjusted, through the pin and slot connection with sector 56, adjustment of the sector will also be effected. The purpose of the manual adjustment of yoke 43 is to provide for a manual setting of the roller 38, plate 39, and sector 56 to the proper initial positions.

Sector 56 is provided with ratchet teeth 58 and is connected to the plunger 59 of a dash pot 60. The purpose of the dash pot is to retard descent of the sector.

Opposite ratchet teeth 58 is a dog 62 weighted to tend to engage its nose with the ratchet teeth. The dog is pivotally carried by a lever 63 pivoted on a 'stud 64 carried by the frame. The lever 63 is connected through a link 65 t0 the plunger 66 of a solenoid 61. When the solenoid is in deenergized condition, the plunger 66 is at its lower limit and lever 63 is at its clockwise limit (as viewedin Fig. 11). In this latter position of lever 63, the bottom of dog 62 is abutting a fixed stud 68 and is thereby maintained in a counterclockwise position against a pin 69 on lever 63 and with its nose free of ratchet teeth 58.

When solenoid 61 is energized, it elevates plunger 66 to rock lever 53 counterclockwise,-

thereby causing dog 62 to rise. As soon as the dog is free of stud 68, its nose engages one of the teeth 58 to raise sector 56 against resistance of a spring 10. The energization of solenoid 61 is momentary, as will be brought out later; hence dog 62 raises sector 56 a small amount and then returns downwardly. The sector tends to desccnd also but its return action is retarded by dash pot '60, so that dog 62 moves down faster and through a greater distance than the sector in any given time. Consequently, upon two successive energizations of solenoid 61, following each other in rapid succession, the dog engages a'lower ratchet tooth 58 upon' the second rise than it did upon the first rise, thereby moving the sector further upward the second time than it did the first time. In this manner, successive energizations of solenoid B! may intermittently move sector 56 upwardly till the latter reaches its upper limit. On the other hand, if the successive energizations of the solenoid occur at-such intervals as permit the sector to descend a distance greater than the down stroke of the dog 62, the latter will, at the beginning of the second rise, engage a higher tooth 58 than upon the first ri"e and at the end of the second rise the sector will be in a lower position than previously. The sector may thus gradually come to its lowest position, shown in Fig. 11. The lower the sector the greater the angle which plate 39 makes with the straightener block 45 and the greater the straightening action of the plate and block. 'If the coaction of block 45 and plate 39 overcompensates the initial curvature of the Web, then solenoid 61 will be energized, by means presentlyto be described,.to raise the sector tore- 4 duce the angle of plate 99 to the straightening block, and to thereby reduce the straightening effect of the plate and block. If the straightening effect is too little, the solenoid will be deenergized and dog 62 will remain released from sector teeth 58, permitting the sector to move down and increase the straightening effect of block 45. In operation, the sector 56 will be in constant oscillation to maintain-the straightening action constantly in flux depending on the amount of straightening required, as determined from the sensing of the degree of straightness of finished cards, as will be described later on.

The web, after straightening, proceeds along curved, flanged, guide plate 46, past a knife blade 12 (Fig. 11), -but without touching the latter, and into the grip of feed rollers I3. The curve of the web against guide plate 46 stiffens it sidewise or transversely so that pressure exerted by the sides of the web against the web-confining side flanges 46 of plate 46 will not tend to bend or crimp the web vertically. The flanges thus engage the opposite sides of the web to guide it properly in its upward travel.

The feed rollers [3 feed the web upwardly between a type roller 14 and a platen roller 15 which constitute a printing couple (see Figs. 1, 2, and

' vented 16). Ink is supplied to type roller 14 by an inking roll I6 which. is part of an inking unit K (Fig. 1), similar to the inking unit disclosed in the aforementioned Patent No. 1,563,014. As the web passes through the printing couple, successive duplicate impressions of card forms are made on a face of the web.

The pressure of the circumferentially disposed type of type roller 14 against the platen roller 15, during rotation of ,these rollers, tends to wear circumferential grooves in the platen roller. Unless provision were made to the contrary, the platen roller, after a while, would be pitted circumferentially, which would result in the formation of longitudinal grooves in the web as the latter passed through the printing couple. .To

- avoid this difliculty, vthe platen roller I5- is gradsure throughout continued operation of the machine and the pitting of the platen roller is pre- The xlal movement of the platen roller 15 is effect as follows (see particularly Fig. 16);

I The platen roller is in the form of a sleeve of rubber composition. v The sleeve is rigidly secured to a 'metal bushing 11 which is rotatably mounted on spindle 18. Fixed to the outer, re-

- duced,-end of the spindle is a collar 19 in the periphery of which is cut a helical box cam 'groove 80. Bushing I! has a stud 82 protruding into cam groove 80.

Spindle 18 of the platen roller is meshed oneto-one by gears 83 and 84 (see Fig. to the spindle 85 ofvthe type rolle I4. Hence, cam collar I9 on spindle 18 makes t e'same number of revolutions in a given timefas the type roller. Plat- -en sleeve 15 is rotated by friction with the pethan the type roller and spindle I8 take. Thus,

during a revolution of spindle 18, its camgroove so will creep ahead slightlfielative to stud a:

cause injury to the rollers and to .of platen sleeve I8. The relative movement between stud 82 and groove 80, due to the helical formation of the groove, positively shifts platen sleeve 15 axially, first in one direction as stud 82 traverses half the length of the cam groove, then in the other direction as the stud travels the second half of the length of the cam groove. In'this manner, the platen sleeve is being slowly but continuously shifted laterally with respect to the type on type roller 14, to prevent the type from pitting the platen sleeve or forming grooves therein.

It may be noted from the above description that the platen roller 15 has a rotational creep relative to the type roller 14, Due to this rotational creep, different horizontal elements of the platen roller will coact with the horizontally disposed lines of type on the type roller 14 during a plurality of printing operations. Thus, the same line of type will eventually coact with the entire circumference of the platen during a plurality of printing cycles. This produces an even wear on the platen roller in a circumferential direction and prevents any circumferential portion of the platen from being indented or pitted more than any other portion of the platen.

Thus, the combined axial and rotational creep of the platen roller 15 relative to a type roller 14 results in even wear on all points of the platen roller and prevents grooving ofthe record web as it passes between the platen and type rollers.

Feed rollers 13 have fed the web through the printing couple 14-15 which has printed successive card forms on a face of the web. After leaving the printing means, the web passes between a pair of plates 81 (see Figs. 1, 2, '7, and 31) rigidly carried by the furcations 88 of a member 89. Member 89 is mounted, intermediate its length, to the frame for universal rocking movement. At the end opposite plates 81, member 89 has fixed to it a piece of insulation 98 which has point bearing engagement with one end of a thin springy rod 92 of metal which at the other end is rigidly set in a fixed, metal, block 93. Block 93 is fixed relative to but insulated from asurrounding metal sleeve 94, which is insulated from but rigidly fastened to the frame. Near its connection to member 89, rod 92 carries a knurled, metal, disk 95. Block 93 is connected to a conducting wire 96 while sleeve 94 is connected to .another conducting wire 91. So long as the web passes freely between plates 81, the spring rod 92 maintains a central, truly horizontal, position with its disk 95 free of sleeve 94. Should the web, after passing the printing means, jam, or be kinked, or be bent out of its plane of feed, the web will not move freely between plates 81 but will press against one or the other plate or against both plates to rock member 89 against resistance of spring rod 92. As member 89 rocks in any direction, it flexes rod 92, causing the disk .95 thereof ,to engage the sleeve 94. This engagement conductively connects sleeve 94 to block 93 to bridge wires 98 and 91 which are in a circuit, to be traced later, for stopping the machine. As the machine is being stopped, the knife blade 12 (Fig. 11) is operated to cut off the material below the feed rollers 13, thereby preventing any possibility of the web before its feed has been effectively stopped from increasing the Jam against jam detecting plates 81 and from gathering in folds'to jam between the feeding and the printingrollers, conditions which might their supporting spindles. 

